Is it safe to hide cords in galvanized steel or copper pipes?

Question

I recently bought a flat screen tv to mount on one of my living room walls, but I feel that the dangling cords will kill its sleek look. It is a rental so I cannot make big holes in the walls to pass the cords behind them...I was thinking of hiding the cords through a galvanized steel or copper piping system that fits the industrial vintage feel of my living room (I already have pipe shelves). However, I was wondering if running cords through metallic pipes would be dangerous?? I don't want someone to be electrocuted by touching the pipes...By the way, painting plastic pipes the colour of my wall is not really an option: the wall have a grey faux finish that gives them a concrete look. :-S

Answer 1

It's called "conduit" when the pipes are carrying wire (Google "electrical conduit" for pictures and shopping.) You can buy it at Home Depot, or any electrical supply house. You can also get clips for wall mounting, angle fittings and boxes.



Yes, it's perfectly safe. For some applications, fire code actually requires that power wiring be run in conduit.



Size your conduit so that you can pass the connectors freely.

Answer 2

Copper is the easier fabricated from the 2 to use. In the event you set up the pipes on your roof cavity, the warmth will finally make the plastic pipe brittle and it's going to must be replaced or you will be flooded and then it's going to need to get replaced. The plastic pipe will probably be simpler and more cost effective to put in but i can promise you that if your current pipe were plastic, it don't have lasted considering the fact that 1912 till today. The plastic manufacturers will attempt to tell you their products will final longer than the copper, however what number of of them will there be to be had to aid you out when the condominium is flooded. There may be one other product on the market with a view to install as easy as the plastic pipe and it has all of the characteristics of the copper pipe. I can't keep in mind it is title now (even checked by way of my catalogs) but it's a spiral style steel/copper internal wrapped in a thin percentlayer. It bend at smaller angles than a plastic pipe and all fittings are crimped onto the pipe. It are available 100m rolls and also you reduce it with a style of "aspect cutter" to the correct size.

Answer 3

It is a code violation to run electrical cords through regular copper or galvanized piping. You have to use piping (called conduit) that is approved specifically for electrical use. Fortunately for you, such conduit is cheap, readily available and easy to install, Go to a building supply center or hardware store and get either thinwall (also called EMT) metal conduit (3/4" diameter will handle most cables) or get electrical PVC which is grey (and thus should blend in with your walls) and easy to install because you simply glue it together. One proviso: you can't run 120 volt power cords AND low voltage cords (like the video or sound cables or the cable company source cable) together in the same conduit. You need separate pipes for 120v power and for communication cables. Another option would be Wiremold, the flat square wiring compartments that mount on the wall for enclosing cables. You can get wide Wiremold with two compartments, one for 120 volt and one for low voltage and communication cables,



One thing you have to consider is whether you can fish the cable connections through the conduit. You may need larger diameters thn 3/4" for that. That's why the wiremold, which has a removeable cover, if a preferable product.

Answer 4

Wires are run through steel conduit in most commercial installations. I suggest that you go to one of the big box stores and buy a piece of rigid non metallic conduit, 37 to 51 mm ( 1.5 to 2") and put the wires in it. Cheaper than metal, easier to cut to length and then you won't worry about stray electrical charges.